1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to funnels and is an easy-flow funnel assembly adapted for venting displaced air from a container being filled with liquid, thereby allowing the liquid to run faster into the container through the central spout of the funnel assembly.
2. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
The use of funnels to pour liquids and other fluid substances is well-known and established in the related art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,585 issued to Waldecker outlines a funnel that includes a ventilation subassembly. The ventilation subassembly includes a large ventilating passage that communicates with the interior of the container being filled and an angled pipe section. The angled pipe section is interconnected to a flexible conduit that runs outside of the funnel. The conduit is routed back to the open mouth of the funnel so it discharges downwardly into the funnel's mouth and beneath a baffle. Thus, the air being vented, as well as any fluid, passes through the angled pipe section, into the flexible conduit, and is discharged from the flexible conduit back into the funnel's mouth. Although this is a self-ventilating funnel, it is bulky and cumbersome to use. Also the flow area available for venting is limited by the size of the conduit and the angled pipe section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,234 issued to Warstler outlines a self-ventilating funnel that is less bulky and cumbersome to use. The funnel includes a plurality of spaced and channelled depressions formed on the outside surface of the funnel. These depressions are arranged so the air is vented from the container up along the outside surface of the funnel. This funnel is provided with a flapper valve arrangement in the guide conduit portion to prevent overfilling of the container. However, because the depressions are on the outside surface, there is no other means for preventing unwanted spillage of material from an overflowing container. In other words, one cannot establish a leak tight connection between the funnel and the container being filled.
While some of the foregoing related art funnels include some mechanism for self-ventilating, there is a need for a self-ventilating funnel that is simple in design and usage, which minimizes or avoids unwanted spillage. It is also desirous for the self-ventilating funnel to allow the fill operation to be performed by one person.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.